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Dec 21, 2012 (The Tico Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
A court of appeals Friday overturned the conviction of ex-Costa Rican President Miguel angel Rodriguez (1998-2002) and acquitted him on the charge of "instigating corruption" in a case of influence peddling with the Costa Rican Electricity Institute and French telecommunications giant Alcatel.

Rodriguez was sentenced on April 27, 2011, to five years in prison and was banned from serving in public office for 12 years. He never served any time in prison, while the appeal was reviewed.

The court also exonerated the 20-year-sentence of edgar Valverde, former Alcatel manager, and the two-year-sentence of lawyer Eliseo Vargas.

ICE officials Luis Adrian Quiros (sentenced to 15 years) and Eduardo Fonseca (2 years) also were acquitted because judges considered that "the evidence against them was improperly obtained."
In 2004, shortly after he took office as Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Rodriguez returned home to face the accusations against him.

On May 25, 2011, the court found that ICE officials were guilty of accepting bribes in exchange for awarding 400,000 GSM cellphone lines to Alcatel, and that Rodriguez instigated the exchange.

Rodriguez was the second former president convicted of corruption in Costa Rica. Rafael angel Calderon (1990-1994) was convicted in an embezzlement case.